A New Year, But the Same Faithful Light

Happy New Year, Aldersgate! 

Every January, the world resets—new calendars, new goals, new tea flavors promising to “detox your life” (if only it were that simple). But long before gym memberships skyrocketed and planners filled up, a group of travelers began their year in a different way. They followed a light.

The Magi didn’t know exactly where they were going. They didn’t have a map, GPS, or even the Dallas North Tollway to guide them. They simply trusted that God’s light would lead them somewhere worth arriving. And it did.

That story feels especially right for us as we begin 2026. This past year held both beauty and challenge. There were moments that stretched us, moments that blessed us, and moments where God’s grace quietly held us together. As your pastor, I couldn’t be more grateful for your faithfulness, your generosity, and your heart for this community. You continue to shine Christ’s light in ways big and small, and it is a privilege to walk this journey with you.

As we step into a new year, I wonder:

Where do you need Christ’s light to break in?
And where might God be inviting you to carry that light for someone else?

Instead of resolutions that fizzle out by mid-January (statistics say most of them disappear faster than leftover Christmas cookies), Epiphany offers us something deeper. It invites us to begin not with pressure, but with presence, the presence of Christ who still guides, still reveals, still shines in our darkest places.

I hope you’ll start the year gathered around that Light.

Join us in worship on Sunday, January 4, as we celebrate Epiphany, share Holy Communion, and open our hearts to the journey God has for us in 2026.

My prayer is that this new year will unveil God’s light for our path. May that light guide our steps, warm our spirits, and remind us each day that we do not walk alone.
 

Happy New Year, friends.
 

With Gratitude,

Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC